CRITICAL ANALYSIS
My critical artist analysis page.
OLA KOLEHMAINEN
Ola Kolehmainen, born 1964 in Helsinki, studied at the Helsinki University of Art and Design and graduated with a masters in photography in 1999. His work is concentrated on contemporary architecture, using interiors and buildings to create abstract compositions, with an interplay of light and reflection. Kolehmainen's artistic approach is based on his exploration of light on architecture. He is known for his minimalistic and abstract pictures of modern architecture, with a special interest in the work of modern masters such as Alvar Aalto and Mies van der Rohe.
His current works focus on exteriors and interiors of holy buildings that he began after spending an intense work phase in Istanbul in 2014 studying buildings of the Ottoman and Byzantine Period. His novel abstract constructivist works were produced by composing multi-layered light structures onto photographic paper.
Kolehmainen’s project Back to Square Black, which is where my chosen analysis photo has come from, explores both art history and Kolehmainen’s own personal timeline. The artwork in this project are inspired by “The Black Square”, the iconic 1915 painting by Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935). The photographs used by Kolehmainen consists purely of the his archived work from the early 2000s. The processing of these images was more like painting than the genre of photography. Kolehmainen altered the photographs so that they became almost imaginary and obtain a new level of importance in history. Kolehmainen described his process as “experimental mixed-media photography”. The technique consisted of re-photographing existing images and printing them on a range of different materials.
During the time that this project was made (the year 2020) the world was experiencing the global pandemic of COVID-19. this was a time that whole world experienced a lockdown. People were only permitted to leave their homes in the case of an emergency, and there were many restrictions that were put into place when leaving the house. This could have been the main reason for Kolehmainen’s work consisting solely of his archived images, as he was unable to go into public in order to capture his photographs. This is a key factor which may have influenced the artist’s artwork.
This photograph is an edited part black and white, part colour photo of what looks like the inside of a cathedral or possibly another holy building. It is very symmetrical and is full of repetition and pattern. To either side of the photo, there are pillars full of pattern which close in as they get closer to the centre. The middle of the image looks as if it has been replaced with a large section of deep red / burgundy colour, making a clear separation from one side of the picture and the other.
The formal elements that are used clearly in this photograph are; line, tone, shape, colour, form, and pattern. The line, pattern, and shape in this photograph all work together to make this photo look intricate and geometric. This is contrasted by the simplistic, single block of colour in the centre of the photograph which adds to its eye-catching appearance due to the difference between that and the building.
The compositional techniques used when creating this photograph were; focus, depth of field, balance, symmetry, leading lines, lighting, contrast, and viewpoint. The use of symmetry and contrast in this image has make it look striking and unique as the human brain is attracted to symmetry. The simple explanation for our attraction to symmetry is that it's familiar. Symmetrical objects and images play by the rules that our brains are programmed to recognise easily. The contrast makes each feature of the photo more prominent, resulting in its noticeability being increased.
This photograph creates a feeling of incompleteness and questionability. We feel that the photograph is almost incomplete due to the “missing” section of the image that has been blocked out , therefore resulting in us questioning why it has been covered or what the meaning for it is. Considering this building is a Christian place of worship, the colour red used in this photo could be based on the Christian representation. In Christianity, red is associated with the blood of Christ and the sacrifice of martyrs. In the Roman Catholic Church, it is also associated with Pentecost and the Holy Spirit.
THOMAS KELLNER
Thomas Kellner, born on 28th May 1966, is a German fine art photographer. He became famous for his large-format photographs of famous architectural monuments, which through many individual images and a single lens reflex camera and uses 35mm film small image rolls. Each picture has a dimension of 24 x 36 mm. each roll of film consists of 36 individual frames. In order to transport the film, perforations are made at the top and bottom of each frame, on which both the type of film used and the number of each frame are noted. After developing the film, Kellner cuts it into strips of equal length and assembles them into one large negative. This is then used to produce the contact sheet, on which the meta-information about the film and the respective number of the shot is still visible.
In this photograph, I can see many different parts of the Eifel tower put together to create a collage. This photo includes the formal elements; line, tone, shape, form and pattern. You can also see that there is a use of many compositional techniques such as; viewpoint, negative space, leading lines and rule of thirds. In my opinion, this makes the photograph look very creative as it becomes a sort of puzzle that has been completed. This makes the audience focus on every part of the photograph and gives people a sense of size, which adds to this photos aesthetic properties. I like that this photograph uses black and white as it makes the image look retro/vintage. It also uses film strips, giving the photo more character and makes it more aesthetically pleasing.
The work of Ola Kolehmainen is slightly like that of Thomas Kellner as both artists like to create their work using separate images. Also, we can see that both of the photographers focus their work on architecture and the use of the formal elements. Both artists work relates to my project of formal elements as they explore different ways to use formal elements while keeping similar subject matters and styles of photography.
LU WENPENG
Lu Wenpeng, contemporary street and travel photographer, was born in China. He settled in Paris to work as a motion designer in 2004. Wenpeng changed from motion design to street and travel photography in 2008 and has since exhibited his work around the world. Wenpeng published the book, Street Colors and Shadows in 2017. He has received numerous awards for his work around the world, mainly in Asia, Europe, and the USA.
This contemporary street photograph is from part of Wenpeng’s travel series called MOROCCO where he travelled around Morocco and photographed mainly people, but in his iconic, slightly abstract way. Wenpeng’s photos all seem to follow the same theme of abstract-looking art. The way he uses colour, shape, line and shadows make his photos almost look like the work of the famous abstract artist, Piet Mondrian.
This photos subject matter consists of a man wearing a Moroccan traditional Djellaba with the hood up, walking through an alleyway which is almost maze-like. The man's clothing is a dark contrast compared to the lighter tones of the walls which he walks by making him stand out from the background, but subtly. This almost makes us wonder about the man and his identity as we also are unable to see his face.
This digital photograph contains many compositional techniques. For example, we can see the use of subject, viewpoint, contrast, and shadows. Along with these compositional techniques, we can see the technical use of formal elements; line, tone, shape, texture, space, and colour. It seems clear to me that Wenpeng has used these techniques and formal elements to create a successful and unique photograph that evokes the emotions of the audience, making them ponder upon the subject of the photograph. The photos abstract nature allows for many interpretations of the photo, such as where the photo may have been taken, where the person in the photo may be going, what they look like, etc. A slight change in angle or viewpoint would completely change the possible interpretations of the photo and the emotions it creates.
Wenpeng’s work also shows how you can use the formal elements when making photographs and get similar effects using different subjects and scenes. As my project focuses on the use of formal elements, I feel that Wenpeng’s work is inspiring and links quite well.
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